Englewood purchases 10 tasers; will be stationed in police cars

ENGLEWOOD - The city's police department is joining the ranks of Bergen County towns that are purchasing tasers to provide as another alternative to using deadly force.

Bergen County Police demonstrate how a taser works last month. Englewood will join other police departments that are purchasing tasers as an alternative to using deadly force.

"Any alternative option officers have in overcoming a combative person is something we look at closely," said Police Chief Arthur O'Keefe. "No police officer wants to be forced to use deadly force on someone if there is another option available to them."

Bergen County Police Officer Jason Trignano holds a barbed probe that was fired from a taser.

The Englewood Police Department spent $25,000 of confiscated funds for 10 tasers and is waiting for delivery of the devices, said O'Keefe. Each available police car during a particular tour of the city will have one taser on hand, with O'Keefe expecting an official rollout in the next six weeks.

The department will train officers before the tasers hit the streets, said O'Keefe. He expects all Englewood police officers to eventually undergo training by the Bergen County Police to become familiar with the devices.

The Bergen County Police Department was the first department to roll out 20 tasers in the county last July. Fort Lee recently purchased 58 tasers, while one police sergeant in Leonia began carrying a stun gun on Aug. 19.

Similar to Fort Lee, Leonia and the county police, Englewood is purchasing Taser X2s, which triggers a video camera when the device is activated, said O'Keefe.

When discussing the need for tasers, recent cases of fatal shootings in Leonia and Garfield have grabbed police departments' attention across the county, O'Keefe said.

In November, 47-year-old Rickey McFadden of Leonia who was wielding a knife during an alleged attempted robbery was shot and killed by a police sergeant and two patrol officers from Palisade Park. McFadden's family alleges that McFadden was mentally ill and that police knew of his illness at the time of the shooting.

The Bergen County Prosecutor found the Leonia shooting was justified and did not present it to a grand jury.

In Garfield, 19-year-old Malik Williams was shot and killed in December 2011 when confronting police officers in a garage with a claw hammer and handsaw after fleeing from a Garfield police station. A grand jury cleared the two Garfield police officers in June 2012 after determining there was "insufficient evidence" to indict the officers.

O'Keefe said the police departments around the county have looked into purchasing tasers for a long time, but needed clarification about policies from the Attorney General's Office before departments could move forward.

While some people may think the police are "supermen," physically able to overcome any force that's against them, this is not the case, said O'Keefe. At times there are situations, such as confronting narcotics users, where suspects are immune to pain, making it difficult to incapacitate them.

"[Tasers are] a vital tool for law enforcement, as long as they are used prudently and only when necessary," said O'Keefe.

Anthony Cureton, an Englewood police sergeant and the president of the Bergen County branch of the NAACP, was happy that Englewood was taking the initiative to get tasers on the streets to provide an alternative to using a fire arm.

Looking ahead, he hopes that law enforcement will join forces with the NAACP to introduce the concept of tasers to city residents, a largely African-American and Latino community.

"The minority community will welcome [the initiative], as long as we have reinsurance they won't be abused in its use," said Cureton.

Englewood purchases 10 tasers; will be stationed in police cars

Bergen County Police demonstrate how a taser works last month. Englewood will join other police departments that are purchasing tasers as an alternative to using deadly force.

By Stephanie Noda

Staff Writer |

Northern Valley Suburbanite

ENGLEWOOD - The city's police department is joining the ranks of Bergen County towns that are purchasing tasers to provide as another alternative to using deadly force.

"Any alternative option officers have in overcoming a combative person is something we look at closely," said Police Chief Arthur O'Keefe. "No police officer wants to be forced to use deadly force on someone if there is another option available to them."

Bergen County Police Officer Jason Trignano holds a barbed probe that was fired from a taser.

The Englewood Police Department spent $25,000 of confiscated funds for 10 tasers and is waiting for delivery of the devices, said O'Keefe. Each available police car during a particular tour of the city will have one taser on hand, with O'Keefe expecting an official rollout in the next six weeks.

The department will train officers before the tasers hit the streets, said O'Keefe. He expects all Englewood police officers to eventually undergo training by the Bergen County Police to become familiar with the devices.

The Bergen County Police Department was the first department to roll out 20 tasers in the county last July. Fort Lee recently purchased 58 tasers, while one police sergeant in Leonia began carrying a stun gun on Aug. 19.

Similar to Fort Lee, Leonia and the county police, Englewood is purchasing Taser X2s, which triggers a video camera when the device is activated, said O'Keefe.

When discussing the need for tasers, recent cases of fatal shootings in Leonia and Garfield have grabbed police departments' attention across the county, O'Keefe said.

In November, 47-year-old Rickey McFadden of Leonia who was wielding a knife during an alleged attempted robbery was shot and killed by a police sergeant and two patrol officers from Palisade Park. McFadden's family alleges that McFadden was mentally ill and that police knew of his illness at the time of the shooting.

The Bergen County Prosecutor found the Leonia shooting was justified and did not present it to a grand jury.

In Garfield, 19-year-old Malik Williams was shot and killed in December 2011 when confronting police officers in a garage with a claw hammer and handsaw after fleeing from a Garfield police station. A grand jury cleared the two Garfield police officers in June 2012 after determining there was "insufficient evidence" to indict the officers.

O'Keefe said the police departments around the county have looked into purchasing tasers for a long time, but needed clarification about policies from the Attorney General's Office before departments could move forward.

While some people may think the police are "supermen," physically able to overcome any force that's against them, this is not the case, said O'Keefe. At times there are situations, such as confronting narcotics users, where suspects are immune to pain, making it difficult to incapacitate them.

"[Tasers are] a vital tool for law enforcement, as long as they are used prudently and only when necessary," said O'Keefe.

Anthony Cureton, an Englewood police sergeant and the president of the Bergen County branch of the NAACP, was happy that Englewood was taking the initiative to get tasers on the streets to provide an alternative to using a fire arm.

Looking ahead, he hopes that law enforcement will join forces with the NAACP to introduce the concept of tasers to city residents, a largely African-American and Latino community.

"The minority community will welcome [the initiative], as long as we have reinsurance they won't be abused in its use," said Cureton.